Page 50 - 25 Reasons

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LEBOGANG
MBANZA MPHASHA
SICHONE GENERAL
METALLURGICAL MANAGER,
PRODUCTION MINERAL
ENGINEER RESOURCES
AT ANGLO DEPOSITS AT
AMERICAN ANGLO
PLATINUM AMERICAN’S
COAL SOUTH
AFRICA

hen women take up a position in mining, they go beyond outh Africa, a country rich with mineral deposits and a long
being great at their jobs – they also inspire more women to history of mining remains a catalyst for future economic
Wjoin the industry. Sgrowth and business opportunities. Although the mining
Zambia-born Mbanza Sichone completed her bachelor’s degree in companies themselves are now working hard to be inclusive and
chemical engineering at the University of Birmingham in the UK transform, more women must enter the industry and be retained
thanks to a bursary opportunity offered by mines in her native until and after they reach executive level.
country. After her degree, she returned to Zambia and worked for the Having a career with longevity goes beyond just being great at
copper mines for seven years. Then, in 2008, an opportunity arose for your job. When you work in an environment where you’re the
her to relocate to South Africa. exception, inspiring others and showing perseverance comes with
“Both of my parents worked in the mining industry – my father was the territory, and these are things that Lebogang Mphasha believes
part of the engineering team and my mother a nurse at the mine one must do.
hospital. I spent most of my life living in a mining town,” she says. Mphasha started her journey at Wits University, where she
Usually, as women, we are directed to careers in healthcare, the studied mining engineering after receiving a bursary from Anglo
judiciary, accounting and teaching. There are these unwritten American, and she has been growing her career within the
inferences that you can only fill certain roles. Mining was definitely me company since 2006. Now she is general manager of mineral
going against the grain. resources deposits.
“I recall facing a real dilemma when I had to choose a career after “When I was at school, I wanted to become a doctor. When I
completing my A levels. A conversation with my mom helped me see was in matric, Anglo American held workshops for pupils to do
things in a different way. She said: ‘Why don’t you try something better in maths and science. During one of these workshops,
different, something that not everyone’s doing?’ So I applied for a someone presented mining engineering as an option for women
scholarship in engineering and here I am today, working in a field I who were looking for a career where they would be in pioneering
would never have considered as a woman’s world.” roles.”
Mbanza is a metallurgical production engineer at Anglo American Up until the 1990s, women were not permitted to work
Platinum and says that one of the greatest rewards in her role is underground in South Africa. But this changed when the Mining
working in a space where some believe she doesn’t belong. She gets Charter introduced quotas urging mining companies to employ a
to show her male colleagues that their own daughters have many staff complement of which 10% were women.
more career options than they thought. “What attracted me was an industry that was untapped by
The reality of this industry is that few women think they can women, and it was an opportunity to try something that hadn’t
explore careers in mining, nor are they encouraged to – this is where really been tried,” Mphasha says.
mentorship comes in, Sichone says. Although the mining companies are working harder to be
“This is now my 17th year in the industry. When I came to South inclusive, it is still taking time for more women to enter the
Africa in 2008, there were a few women in my area of work. I saw industry and be retained until they reach leadership roles, but
females mostly only in finance or production roles. At management Mphasha is excited about the possibilities and growth.
level, I was often the only female in meetings. But now our team is “There were a lot of roles where I was the first woman to join a
probably 30% female. There has been a significant shift in the crew and they didn’t believe that a woman belonged in that role.
representation of women in mining.” But we have grown past that – so much so that we’re getting past
“In my role, I have tried to mentor young women – I’m working the phase of making those gender distinctions.”
with eight at the moment. Confidence comes in many forms – for Mphasha says opening up an environment for women in this
example it’s the voice you use to articulate your ideas; it’s where you field starts with scholarships and bursaries.
choose to sit in a boardroom. I have noticed women often choose to “Mentorship is very important, too. It results in better success
sit on the periphery, waiting to be told to join the meeting or being rates in their career path, particularly in the technical and
uncertain when to bring their brilliant ideas. leadership roles.
“I strongly believe we all have to learn to take on the authority in “If I look at the work that has been done to incorporate women
our various roles and in many ways I enjoy teaching women in my in the industry, I don’t think that the presence of women would be
work area how to do this. an issue. If we continue to make strides as an industry by placing
“I am often informally asked to coach women, some of whom I more women in senior positions, we can move on to focusing on
haven’t even met because they work in different sections in the where we should be headed to enable the industry to survive, and
company. So, I hope I’m doing enough.” that includes artificial intelligence and robotics.”
50 ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE